Gasoline pressure regulator device

ABSTRACT

A petrol or gasoline pressure regulator device, particularly for motor vehicles, comprising a regulator body with two chambers separated by a diaphragm and a valve member controlling a communication duct to one of said chambers and acting on said diaphragm, the combinated effect of said valve member and of said diaphragm controlling the pressure of the petrol or gasoline inside said regulator body.

United States Patent Malpassi 1 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] GASOLINE PRESSUREREGULATOR 3,228,523 1/1966 Koate et a1. ..210/137 DEVICE 2,633,1463/1953 Witt ..210/137 X ent i Montello 5 DOWll'lS Seregno, Italy PrimaryExaminer-John Adee [22] Flled: July 1970 Attorney-Guido Modiano andAlbert Josif [21] Appl. No.: 52,627

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A petrol orgasoline pressure regulator device, particularly for motor vehicles,comprising a regulator 4 l B gi 332 'body with two chambers separated bya diaphragm and a valve member controlling a communication duct 52 US.Cl ..210/137, 210/430 to one of said chambers and acting on Saiddiaphragm, [51] Int. Cl. ..B01d 29/36 the combinated effect of SaidValve member and 0f 58 Field of Search ..210/137, 430 said diaphragmcontrolling the pressure of the petrol or gasoline inside said regulatorbody. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Claim, 4 DrawingFigures 2,707,051 4/ 1955 Mailhot et a1. ..210/137 7 g 1 1a 9 A PATENTEDBT 3 I972 INVENTOR Alberto MALPASSI GASOLINE PRESSURE REGULATOR DEVICEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a petrol orgasoline pressure regulator device which is of particular, but notexclusive, use in motor vehicles.

It is known that in motor vehicles the fuel (petrol) contained in thevehicles fuel tank is passed to the carburetor and thence to theexplosion chamber by a pump called the petrol pump.

Since the thrust exerted on the fuel by the pump is discontinuous orfluctuating, it=has for long been suggested to 'interpose apetrol-pressure adjustment member between the petrol pump and thecarburetor. However, while the known adjustment members have providedimprovements in the art, they have been found to be unsatisfactory forthe adjustment of the petrol-pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention isthat of providing a petrol-pressure regulator device which delivers aflow of petrol which is adjusted with precision, even when the pressureof the petrol arriving at the device is subject to considerablevariations, such ilow being adjustable over a wide range of values inorder to satisfy the needs of the members employing the fuel(thecarburetor and the engine).

Another object of the present invention is that of providing apetrol-pressure adjustment or regulator device which adjusts thepressure of the petrol by eliminating impurities contained in thepetrol, the element which eliminates such impurities being replaceable.

Another object of the present invention is that of providing apetrol-pressure adjustment device which is tight communication throughan aperture and a communication duct, said adjustment body comprising afirst and a second chamber separated by a laminar diaphragm, said firstchamber being substantially closed and said second chamber being incommunication with said filter body through said communication duct,said filter body comprising a liquid filter element arranged betweensaid aperture and said communication duct, a valve member controllingsaid communica- 'tion duct, resilient holding means and adjustment meansfor said valve member, at least one inlet duct and at least one outletduct, resilient fixture means being provided for fixing said filter bodyto said adjustment body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further characteristics and advantagesof the invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription of a preferred embodiment of a petrol-pressure adjustmentdevice according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a petrol pressure adjustmentdevice according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of a valve portion ofthe device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same petrol-pressure adjustmentdevice; and

FIG. 4 is a view in an enlarged scale, of a valve element according to afurther embodiment thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the figures,1 indicates the regulator body of the petrol-pressure regulator'device,2 indicates a filter body removably attached thereto and 3 indicates avalve member interposed between the bodies 1 and 2. The device has aninlet union 4 which communicates through a duct 5 with the interior 6 ofthe filter body 2. In the body 1 of the device, substantially formed intwo pieces la and lb, there are provided a first and a second chamber 7and 8, respectively, which are separated by a laminar diaphragm 9. Theair chamber 7 is substantially closed. The position of the laminardiaphragm 9 may be adjusted by means of an adjustment screw 10. The headof the screw 10 is covered by a cap 11 and a spring 12 is arrangedbetween the screw 10 and the diaphragm 9.

The filter body 2 is in fluid-tight communication with the body 1through a gasket 13 and is maintained in position by a U-shaped tie-rodwhose ends are engaged in the body 1 and whose central portion isengaged in the tang 15 of the filter body 2. The body 2 internallycarries a filter member 16 of the replaceable cartridge kind, comprisingfilter surfaces (not shown) arranged in 17 between end plates 18 and 19and the cylindrical cavity 20. Against the lower end plate 18 of thefilter member 16 there acts a spring 21. The upper end plate 19 of thefilter 16 has a circular hole adjacent a communication passage 22between the body 2 and the body I. As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, saidcommunication passage 22 includes a cylindrical seat 23 for the valvemember 3 and a relative thrust spring 24. The upper end of said seat 23has a conical tapered portion which opens into a cylindrical duct 26whose upper end communicates with a apertures 27, provided in the number27a which also forms guiding means for the valve stem 30.

The valve member 3 substantially comprises a generally cylindrical valvecone having an annular groove retaining an O-ring gasket 29, a centralprojecting shoulder 28 whose upper face is in abutting engagement withthe O-ring gasket 29, the upper surface of said annular 29 being inengagement with the conical tapered portion 25 of said communicationpath 22. The upper end of the valve member 3 terminates in a pin 30which engages the laminar diaphragm 9. The resilient gasket 29 has theadvantage of providing a better fluidtight seal than other sealelements, such as the known use of two conical metal surfaces.

Reference numeral 31 indicates the outlet or delivery duct of thepetrol-pressure adjustment device, and reference numeral 32 indicatesthe connection union for said delivery duct.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows a petrol pump 33 and a carburetor 34 whichare connected to the inlet union 4 and the outlet union 32,respectively.

The working of the petrol-pressure adjustment device according to theembodiment will now be described.

The petrol pump 33 passes fuel under pressure into the internal space 6of the filter body 2 through the duct 5. Such fuel (petrol) passesthrough the filter elements 17 to the cylindrical space 20 and thence,through the communication duct 22 controlled by the valve member 3, intothe chamber 8. The fuel then leaves the chamber 8 through the outletunion 32 and passes into the carburetor 34. Since the fuel underpressure which is delivered by the pump 33 has a substantiallyfluctuating pressure, the chamber 8 will be forced to expand orcontract, like a lung, under the action of the fluctuating pressure ofthe fuel passing into the chamber 8 through the duct 22. In particular,the

expansion of said chamber 8 causes the compression of 20 required by thecarburetor 34, and is independent of the pressure applied to the fuel bythe pump 33 upstream of the petrol-pressure adjustment device. In thisway the device provides the carburetor and the explosion chamber with aflow of fuel which does not fluctuate and is stable in all drivingconditions. Differences in climate and altitude in which the motorvehicle finds itself are compensated by the reaction of the diaphragm 9.The petrol-pressure adjustment device can provide a delivery pressure ofup to five times that necessary for supplying the carburetor with thenormal quantity of fuel.

The characteristics described above lead to a saving in fuel of from 10to 15 percent with respect to similar motor vehicles which do not employan adjustment device according to the invention.

Now considering FIG. 4 in detail, where the same elements as in FIG. 2are indicated with the same reference numbers, the valve elementconsists of an intermediate frusto-conical member or section 35, to thebases of which there are rigidly connected the stem member or pin 30 atthe smaller base and the annular shoulder 28, respectively, whichradially projects over the larger base closely thereto.

On the annular shoulder 28 at the side opposite the frusto-conicalsection 35 a spring 24 also acts. The latter rests at the other endthereof against a shoulder defined by the seat 23 becoming narrowertowards the communication passage 22.

At the frusto-conical section 35 of the valve element the side wall ofthe passage 22 is formed with an annular cavity 36 arranged to receive atoroidal gasket 37 in such a manner, however, as to cause the latter toproject through a substantial portion of its inner and lower surfaceover its seat. The inner diameter of the gasket 37 is selected so as tobe smaller than the maximum diameter of the frusto-conical section 35.

hile considering now the operation of this valve in detail, it may beseen that the frusto-conical section 35, in the closed condition, firstmakes contact along a circumference with the fixed gasket 37, the saidcontact taking place when the gasket is not in contact with the shoulder28 yet. Upon a further closing operation the section 35 causes thegasket to expand due to said surface having a greater diameter than thegasket 37. Sealing is also provided by the pressure contact between theshoulder 28 and the gasket in the lower portion.

Conversely the conical surface permits a more uniform adjustment of thepassage opening relative to the movement of the valve element.

For carrying out the elements forming the pressure adjuster according tothe invention the used materials could be any according to requirements.

lclaim:

l. A pressure regulator device, particularly for regulating gasolinepressure in motor vehicles, of the character comprising a regulator bodyand a filter body removably attached thereto, a first and a secondchamber provided inside said regulator body, a diaphragm inside saidregulator body separating said first and second chamber from each other,an inlet for gasoline into said filter body, means defining acommunication passage between said second chamber and said filter body,valve means inside said communication passage for opening and closingsaid communication passage, said valve means having a valve stemcooperating with said diaphragm, resilient means urging said diaphragmand said valve stem against each other and an outlet for gasoline fromsaid second chamber and wherein, according to the improvement, saidvalve means comprises a generally cylindrical valve cone body axiallymovable inside said communication passage and rigid with said valvestem, an annular groove in said valve cone body, a projecting shoulderon said valve cone body adjacent said groove and having two oppositefaces, resilient means inside said communication passage bearing withone end thereof against one of said faces of said projecting shoulderand connected with other end thereof to said regulator body, an annulargasket means retained within said annular groove and abutting againstthe other of said faces of said projecting shoulder, said means definingsaid communication passage having a frusto-conical portion cooperatingwith said annular gasket means in sealing off said communication passagewhen said generally cylindrical valve cone body is in its closingposition and guiding means for said stem of said valve means.

1. A pressure regulator device, particularly for regulating gasolinepressure in motor vehicles, of the character comprising a regulator bodyand a filter body removably attached thereto, a first and a secondchamber provided inside said regulator body, a diaphragm inside saidregulator body separating said first and second chamber from each other,an inlet for gasoline into said filter body, means defining acommunication passage between said second chamber and said filter body,valve means inside said communication passage for opening and closingsaid communication passage, said valve means having a valve stemcooperating with said diaphragm, resilient means urging said diaphragmand said valve stem against each other and an outlet for gasoline fromsaid second chambeR and wherein, according to the improvement, saidvalve means comprises a generally cylindrical valve cone body axiallymovable inside said communication passage and rigid with said valvestem, an annular groove in said valve cone body, a projecting shoulderon said valve cone body adjacent said groove and having two oppositefaces, resilient means inside said communication passage bearing withone end thereof against one of said faces of said projecting shoulderand connected with other end thereof to said regulator body, an annulargasket means retained within said annular groove and abutting againstthe other of said faces of said projecting shoulder, said means definingsaid communication passage having a frusto-conical portion cooperatingwith said annular gasket means in sealing off said communication passagewhen said generally cylindrical valve cone body is in its closingposition and guiding means for said stem of said valve means.